The local mining industry relies on a trained workforce to ensure smooth operations and meet the production demand to fuel the global economy. Mining technology suppliers focus on delivering new products to improve the operational efficiency and safety of the mine site.
The added complexity of operating modern mining equipment demands workers to possess a higher level of expertise than ever before. Workers must be technically adept in operating new mining equipment while also engaging in safe and sustainable practices. Therefore, it is pivotal for the main governing organization to prioritize re-educating the mining workforce. They may include local government, mining organizations, vocational education or registered training institutes.
One of the challenges faced by training organizations is keeping pace with the rapid change in technology and industry requirements. Regularly updating training programs and adapting flexible or blended learning models may assist. Training accessibility is also a challenge, as most mining operations are remotely accessible. This can be solved by integrating online learning modules and adding features to allow students to learn from a mobile platform.
An example of workforce empowerment includes technical training to learn the correct procedures to operate advanced machinery and automation control systems. Modern training equipment also covers the curriculum on data analysis tools and digital twinning capabilities.
Bestech provides advanced technology and technical equipment for training operators and apprentices in technical areas such as heavy equipment operations, hydraulics and pneumatics, instrumentation and process controls, electrotechnology and Refrigeration, which are essentials in the mining industry.
Bestech Australia was founded in 2002 to support industrial customers as a precision testing and measurement sensors supplier in Australia and New Zealand. Our continuing growth enabled us to acquire UTTS (Universal Technical Training Services) in 2012, allowing Bestech to tap its footprint into the technical education and vocational training industry.
Training and Assessment of Electrician Apprenticeship
With its growing team of engineers and technical specialists, Bestech continues to expand its capabilities by acquiring a wide range of state-of-the-art equipment in its product portfolio to support the growing requirement for technical training. We achieved that by building healthy working relationships with equipment suppliers globally. We also expanded our in-house manufacturing facility for the computer-controlled electrical test panels, widely used for training and capstone assessment of apprentices in Certificate III of electrotechnology.
Our locally manufactured electrical testing panel complies with the AS/NZS 3000:2018 wiring rules and allows students to test isolation procedures on systems with multiple energy sources. Instructors can ensure that every student works on different fault scenarios, which can be remotely configured via the embedded web server when the board connects to the network.
Technical Training for Equipment Operators
Mining operations are primarily driven by equipment efficiency, such as improving productivity and reducing equipment downtime. Increasing efficiency from as small as 1% can generate significant profit for the mining operators, which also translates to better operational workflow and a safer workplace.
Simulation-based training with Virtual Reality (VR) introduces a new breadth of training capabilities. Allowing multiple users in the same space allows us to create advanced, interactive exercises while permitting students to engage in collaborative assignments.
An example of this can be seen in the loading exercise where a track excavator loads two articulated dump trucks, delivering material to a dozer carrying out final trimming. At the same time, someone can enter the site as a VR avatar in the form of a bankman, site supervisor, or even an instructor to lead the on-site process from a uniquely immersive first-person perspective.
Our state-of-the-art simulators are engineered to the highest quality and manufactured with components sourced from industry-leading manufacturers. Simulation training systems can be designed as advanced desktop units, car simulators with professional steering wheel or mobile units. We can simulate training on various equipment, including excavators, wheel loaders, crane trucks, graders, and many more.
Troubleshooting skills of process plant operators
Plant operators are essential parts of industrial processing plants as they are responsible for maintaining production. Therefore, improving their technical fault-finding and diagnostic skills is essential for solving problems in the field.
Building the technical capabilities of operators via an on-the-job learning approach is inefficient and is accident-prone due to inadequate equipment and skills of the students. These learning assignments should be conducted on industrial-grade equipment designed for educational purposes.
Since 2020, Bestech has partnered with PIGNAT to supply industrial-grade educational equipment for training process plant operators. PIGNAT is a France-based company that offers unique expertise in designing and commissioning educational pilot plants or industrial installations for chemical engineering with more than 60 years of industrial experience.
PIGNAT designs a wide range of teaching equipment to study the principle of unit operations such as distillation columns, chemical reactors, membrane filtration systems, adsorption / absorption units with simple stand-alone manual systems or with fully automated control and instrumentation systems, and complex pilot-scale rigs to study process control loops, sensor technology, and data acquisition.
All components, including in-house manufactured glassware, frame assembly, electrical wiring, PVC assembly, are tested in the manufacturing facility. Bestech assisted PIGNAT with installing, training, and commissioning the equipment on-site to ensure that each component works as per specification.
With office branches and partners in each state, we ensure that we cover most parts of the country. It is pivotal for Bestech to provide technical support to ensure customers can hit the ground running with their new equipment.
